Guide rail structure for machine tools



Jan. 1o, 1956 F. B. MILLER 2,730,306

GUIDE RATL STRUCTURE FOR MACHINE. TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 7, 1953 [0000000000 2 Y @A3 4a 2|\ ,33

Jan. 10, 1956 Filed Jan. '7, 1955 F. B. MILLER 2,730,306

GUIDE RAIL STRUCTURE FOR MACHINE TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheen'. 2

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GUIDE RAIL STRUCTURE FOR MACHINE TOOLS Francis B. Miiler, li/lilwaukee, Wis., assignor to Mercury Engineering Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application january 7, 1953, Serial No. 330,084

3 Claims. (Cl. 238 281) The invention relates to machine tools and more particularly to a trackway or track construction for machine tools that have a long traverse such as grinding machines, milling machines and boring machines that operate on tracks disposed adjacent the work.

The main object of the invention is to provide an accurate mounting for a track by mounting metal track supports or anchorages in a concrete bed at spaced intervals and providing these supports with track clamps which permit vertical and lateral adjustment of the tracks relative to the supports followed by the step of drilling and tapping these supports for studs which carry clamping nuts by which the alined track is held down.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel method of setting up the track supports and aixing the track thereto.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a track construction embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of this construction;

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 and showing a machine tool mounted on the tracks;

Fig. 4 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the broken line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical sectional view through a wheel mounting of a machine tool that is guided by the track construction embodying the invention;

Fig` 8 is a detailed vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, a foundation bed 10 of concrete is formed by pouring the same into suitable forms (not shown). Before pouring, spaced sets of pairs of long reinforcing steel rods 11 are accurately located in what is to be the finished bed as by supporting these rods at spaced intervals by cross rods 12 which may be secured in known manner to the rods 11 by tie wires (not shown). Strung along each pair of rods 11 at spaced intervals and supported thereby while the bed is poured are a series of spaced metal track anchorages 13. Each anchorage is a rectangular metal block which has cavities 14 formed in its front and back portions with a web 15 between them which web has a relatively large hole 16 connecting the cavities. At their lower ends each block has accurately located spaced drilled holes 17 to receive the rods 11. At their upper ends each block has a spaced pair of upstanding lugs 13 projecting above the top of the bed, and each of these lugs has a transversely extending tapped or threaded hole i9 alined with that of the other hole. With the rods l1 passed through the holes 17 of the anchorages and these anchorages spaced along the rods nited States Patent W 2,730,306 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 ICC 11 at the desired intervals, for example, one and onehalf feet, the concrete is poured to form the bed 10 and allowed to set with the anchorages 13 located therein.

The tracks or rails 20 are of usual form except that lugs 21 are welded to the central portions of their flanged bases at intervals corresponding to the spacing of the lugs 18 on the anchorages. Also each rail has an accurately machined and ground top surface 22, and the inner track, that is, the one adjacent the work being operated upon by the machine tool, also has accurately machined and ground sides 23. As shown in Fig. 7, the machine tool such as the motor propelled grinder T shown in Fig. 3 has wheels 24 that run on the tops 22 of the inner rail, the axles for these wheels being mounted in ball bearings 25 mounted in the frame 26 of the tool. Also oppositely disposed side thrust take up ball bearing rollers 27 engage the sides 23 of the rails and have their inner races carried by studs 28 which have adjustable eceentrically disposed shank portions 29 that are clamped to part of the frame 26 by nuts 30, the eccentric adjustment of these studs permitting a close lit of the rollers 27 with the rail. The side rollers 27 are not used with wheels, similar to the wheels 24, that run on the back or outer rail 20. It is also to be noted that the side faces 31 of the lugs 21 are substantially parallel to the sides 23 and are at right angles to the top 22 of the rails.

The rails of the form above described are laid over the track anchorages 13 so that their lugs 21 extend down between the lugs 18. Each rail is then levelled to bring its top surface 22 to the desired working height and is laterally adjusted for longitudinal alinement by clamping this rail to the anchorages 13 by set screws 32 adjustably mounted in the threaded holes 19 of the lugs 1S and locked in adjusted position by other set screws 33.

After the rail has been accurately located on its anchorages, stud holes 34 are drilled and tapped or threaded in the anchorages 13 in line with holes 35 previously drilled in the base anges of the rail and pads or washers 41 whose underside are bevelled to conform to the bevelled top faces of the bottom flanges of the rail and are welded to said flanges. Studs 36 are then mounted in the holes 34 to project through the holes 35. Nuts 37, 38 and 39 and washers 40 are associated with each stud. The nuts 37 and 3S are screwed onto the stud 36 below the rail as the lower end of this stud is screwed into the hole 34 and then the nut 37 is turned down against the top of the anchorage 13 to lock the stud 34 in position while the nut 38 and washer d@ are run up on the stud to bring the washer iti into abutting contact with the bottom of the rail. Thereafter the nut 39 is then turned down against the pad or washer 41. The rail is now firmly anchored to the bed 10 in the desired vertical and horizontal position by the anchorages 13, the studs 36 and their associated nuts. The set screws 32 and lugs 18 are not intended as a permanent mounting connection between the rail and its anchorage but provide a preliminary holding of the rail while the studs 36 are being mounted and secured.

Cover members 42 may be clamped over the base portions of the rail by bolts 43 extending through the web of the rail as shown in Figs. 4 to 6.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular details hereinbefore set forth except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What l claim as my invention is:

l. ln a track mounting construction for traveling machine tools, the combination of a concrete bed having metal reinforcing rods mounted therein as a pair` of spaced rods, metal track anchorages having spaced, holes to receive said rods and anchored therewith in said bed at spaced intervals along said rods, a rail, means for preliminarily securing the base portion of said rail to said anchorages in the desired vertical and horizontal alinement of the rail, studs mounted in said anchorages and extending through openings in the base of said rail, and nuts clamping the base of the rail to said studs in the position determined by said preliminary securing means.

2. In a track mounting construction for traveling machine tools, the combination of a concrete bed having metal reinforcing rods mounted therein as a pair of spaced rods, metal track anchorages having spaced holes to receive said rods and anchored therewith in said bed at spaced intervals along said rods, said anchorages having upstanding lugs, a rail, means for clamping said rail to said lugs in the desired vertical and horizontal alinement of the rail, studs mounted in said anchorages and exten-ding through openings in the base of said rail, and nuts clamping the base of the rail to said studs in the position determined by the clamping of the rail to said lugs.

3. In a track mounting construction for traveling machine tools, the combination of a concrete bed having metal reinforcing rods mounted therein as a pair of spaced rods, metal track anchorages having spaced holes to receive said rods and anchored therewith in said bed at spaced intervals along said rods, a rail having a series of lugs depending from its base and spaced for placement over said anchorages, said anchorages having spaced upstanding lugs with alined threaded holes disposed at right angles to said rail and receiving said lugs of the rail between them, clamping screws adjustably mounted in said holes and engageable with rail lugs to clamp said rail to said anchorages in the vertical and horizontal alinement of the rail, studs mounted in said anchorages and extending through openings in the base of said rail, and nuts clamping the base of said rail to said studs in the position determined by the clamping of the rail lugs to the anchorage lugs.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS l 

